Benjamin Broughton

Background

About Benjamin Broughton

I am co-founder and CEO of a technology company called Avior Labs (Pty) Ltd. We develop unmanned aerial systems for commercial and humanitarian applications. I'm also co-owner and Director of R&D at Lightweight Structures (Pty) Ltd, where we manufacture various composite components for the aerospace and medical industries. My interest in aviation goes back to building model aircraft before I even started school. I eventually completed degrees in mechanical and aeronautical engineering and a PhD in aerospace engineering. My professional interests have always focused on the applied aspects of aerospace engineering: Initially in applied aerodynamics and later in modelling and simulation, flight mechanics and aircraft system identification, which we conducted both on manned and unmanned platforms. Lately we started using various aspects of artificial intelligence and machine learning in our work. My passion, however, lies in putting all that knowledge together to create things - i.e. aircraft and aircraft system design and development.